The instant invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy having a liquid-filled outer shell.
Novelty items or paperweights comprising decorative articles which are disposed in liquid-filled containers have heretofore been known in the art. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,361,424 to Snyder is exemplary in this regard as disclosing a device comprising a statue figure which is mounted within a fluid filled transparent container. The fluid in the transparent container contains a white particulate matter which can be circulated within the container to simulate whirling snow around the statue.
Containers or the like comprising liquid-filled outer shell portions have also been known in the art. In this regard, the U.S. Pat. No. 1,692,938 to Jacobs; U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,888 to Knott; U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,139 to Tapner; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,950 to Glassman represent the closest prior art to the instant invention of which the applicant is aware. The U.S. patents to Jacobs and Knott disclose toy baby bottles which include outer shells filled with liquids. The Jacobs baby bottle comprises a glass bottle having a double-walled construction defining an open area or space therebetween, and an opaque nipple attached to the neck of the bottle The nipple communicates with the open area through a plurality of perforations in the neck of the bottle. The space is filled with a fluid resembling milk, and when the bottle is inverted, the fluid slowly drains into the nipple where it is concealed, thus creating an appearance that the fluid is being emptied from the bottle. The Knott bottle operates in a somewhat similar manner to simulate the emptying of a bottle when it is inverted. The U.S. Patent to Tapner discloses a writing instrument including a liquid-filled outer shell. The writing instrument comprises a transparent tubular shell having inner and outer concentric walls which define an elongated cavity therebetween, and a mechanical pencil. The inner working parts of the mechanical pencil are disposed within the shell, and a transparent liquid is received in the shell so that the working parts may be viewed through the shell. The U.S. Patent to Glassman discloses a flower vase for artificial flowers which is adapted to present an illusion that the vase is filled with water. The vase comprises an inner tubular insert which is sealed to an outer receptacle. The outer receptacle and the tubular insert define a cavity therebetween which is filled with a transparent fluid. In use, artificial flowers are placed in the tubular insert, and the liquid in the cavity creates an appearance that the vase is filled with water and that the flowers are received in the water.